Nic was on the verge of laughter as Dom moved to kiss Sue, but then made a crack about the Ice Princess being sloppy seconds, and he could see the attitude in the crowd change. He inhaled sharply and quickly, waiting for the backlash that he could feel building. Bruin's words were sharp and true to their target, but he was not going to let on that they hurt, even the tiniest bit. Even when Hilary walked away from him, he stood there, stoically, watching the scene until he found the words to say.
"Well, Bruin, its obvious that being a **** is not just reserved for the foreigners," he said calmly and evenly. Turning to Hilary, "and as for you, its been fun sweetheart, but you meant nothing. It was all part of the game. Thanks for helping me win." He winked at her before continuing. "Dom, I think I will take my prize back on the ship. Don't want to flaunt our bet all over the place."
Noting the fact that Yvan was settled in nicely with the girls, he decided to try to take him down a notch with them. "Yvan, too bad you wussed out halfway through the year. Might have gotten some action yourself. Would have done you some good. See you on the boat buddy."
Nic then turned and began to walk across the lawn towards the ships, his palms sweating, but still doing his best to maintain a calm and superior exterior.